Latinx Communities and the Criminal Legal System
A Discussion on the Challenges Facing Latinx People in New York and Beyond
Hosted by John Jay College’s Institute for Justice and Opportunity and Data Collaborative for Justice, in partnership with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services and Manhattan Neighborhood Network El Barrio Firehouse Community Media Center.
At a time when racial disparities remained deeply embedded in our national and local criminal legal context, this event unearthed the unique and often overlooked challenges faced by Latinx individuals and their communities. Through discussions that illuminated the impacts of immigration system involvement, language barriers, and other unseen consequences, the event highlighted the systemic obstacles Latinx communities navigate. Running for four hours, the event featured three panel discussions and brought forward voices of directly impacted community members and Latinx leaders in criminal and immigration reform, underscoring their insights and lived experiences.
AGENDA
SPEAKER BIOS
DATA POWERPOINTS
Coffee and continental breakfast starting at 9:30 a.m.
10:00am: Welcome Address – Karol V. Mason (President, John Jay College of Criminal Justice)
10:05am: Opening Remarks – Rossana Rosado (Commissioner, NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services)
10:15am: Panel 1: The State of Latinx People in the Justice System
Moderator: Krystal Rodriguez (Policy Director, Data Collaborative for Justice)
Panelists: Juan Cartagena (Former President and General Counsel, LatinoJustice PRLDEF); Ana Bermudez (Former Commissioner, NYC Probation); Leigh Bates (Deputy Commissioner, NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services); and Michael Rempel (Director, Data Collaborative for Justice).
- Overview of Latinx involvement in the justice system
- Data collection deficiencies and implications for studying racial disparities
- Impact on resource allocation and service provision in the criminal legal system.
11:15am: Remarks/Break
11:30am: Panel 2: Understanding the True Criminal Justice Impacts for Latinx Communities
Moderator: Ashley Rodriguez (Director of Finance and Operations, Institute for Justice and Opportunity)
Panelists: Talia Peleg (Co-Director, Immigrant and Non-Citizen Rights Clinic, CUNY School of Law); Zenaida Mendez (Director, Manhattan Neighborhood Network El Barrio Firehouse Community Media Center); Ismael Diaz (Downstate Community Organizer, Center for Community Alternatives).
- Discussing how arrest can lead to severe immigration consequences and the criminalization of migration
- Examining the public and media narratives regarding Latinx people and migrant communities
- The broad ranging impact of criminal justice involvement on Latinx families and communities.
12:30pm: Scheduled Break
12:45pm: Panel 3: Legal Reforms and Policy Solutions
Moderator: Rob DeLeon (Deputy CEO, Fortune Society)
Panelists: Honorable Catalina Cruz (New York State Assembly, District 39); Andrea Nieves (Supervising Attorney, Policy Team, New York County Defenders); Gisele Castro (CEO, Exalt Youth).
- Pending reforms that could benefit Latinx communities.
- Policies and practices by local officials (e.g. City Council, Court Administration, Prosecutors) to overcome systemic barriers (e.g. limited language access)
- Pathways to eradicating racial inequities within the criminal legal system.
1:45pm: Closing Remarks
Announcing the Committee on Latine Communities and the New York Criminal Justice System: Addressing Data Gaps and Racial Disparities
In partnership with Commissioner Rossana Rosado, the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services, the Data Collaborative for Justice (DCJ) and the Institute for Justice and Opportunity (IJO) will be launching the “Committee on Latine Communities and the New York Criminal Justice System: Data Gaps and Solutions”. The overarching goals of this committee will be to convene criminal justice and racial disparities experts, as well as, individuals with lived experience to examine how Latine communities are identified and represented within the system, data collection and reporting gaps and solutions, and ways to mitigate racial disparities and overrepresentation across the criminal justice system.
This committee will work to confront the very issues discussed today and propose feasible solutions to do better, to confront racial discrimination and disparities, and to uplift Latinx people.